Looking at Art
Looking at Art
An Art History Survey at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Looking at art : an art history survey at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
p. cm. Summary: A companion guide to college-level courses in art history, this publication highlights three of the major MFAH art collections; features entries about 23 specific works of art, with an accompanying image of each object; includes helpful strategies for writing about art; and offers an overview of the MFAH campusProvided by publisher. ISBN 978-0-89090-169-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. ArtTexasHouston. 2. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. 3. ArtHistory. I. Title.
N576.H7A84 2009 700.97641411dc22 2009022523
2009 The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publisher.
1st Kindle edition - October 2010
Contents
Selected Works from the MFAH Collection of World Art
List of Images
Front cover (left to right): Portrait of a Ruler, Fishing Boats, Still Life with Golden Bream, The Rocks, Portrait of a Young Woman, Standard-Bearer, A Wooded Landscape, Haniwa Warrior, Virgin and Child, Brown Pavilion, The Orange Trees, Shiva Nataraja
Cycladic
, Assyrian
, Attributed to the Painter of the Yale Oinochoe
, Roman
, Japanese
, Indian
, Master of the Sienese Strauss Madonna
, Aztec
, Hans Memling
, Italian
, Orazio Gentileschi
, Rembrandt van Rijn
, Francisco de Goya
, Gustave Caillebotte
, Vincent Van Gogh
, Louis Comfort Tiffany
, Georges Braque
, Akan
, Maria Martinez and Julian Martinez
, Georgia O'Keefe
, Jackson Pollock
Acknowledgments
This book is the result of many conversations between MFAH staff members and college and university professors, all of whom are interested in bringing to students the pleasure and enjoyment of learning about art history. I would especially like to thank Dr. Rex Koontz of the University of Houston for conceptualizing the project and contributing his essay on writing about art. Dr. Susan Baker, of the University of Houston-Downtown, and Dr. Linda Woodward, of Lone Star College, served as readers and guided the project. At the museum, my education department colleagues Angela Bufkin, Jon Carfagno, and Lauren Fretz worked diligently to write and edit text and to oversee the distribution of the book. Emily Hoops Sanders, Kelly Laskosky, Diane Lovejoy, Kem Schultz, and Marty Stein expertly managed the graphics, publications, and rights-and-reproductions responsibilities.
A special thank you to MFAH Director Peter C. Marzio, whose commitment and belief in the work of the education department ensures that projects such as this are an integral part of the museums mission. Although Looking at Art was produced as a companion book for students, it is our wish that this publication will provide insight and enjoyment to anyone studying art history.
Victoria Ramirez, PhD
W. T. and Louise J. Moran Education Director
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Introduction
Bring this book with you when you visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). Looking at Art: An Art History Survey features:
A brief history of some of the major collections at the MFAH
Entries about 23 works of art from cultures around the world, both ancient and contemporary
A checklist with details about each work of art
Helpful strategies for writing about art
An overview of the MFAH campus
Works of art communicate ideas, feelings, passions, joys, and sorrows. Looking at Art is designed to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the layers of meaning expressed by a work of art. Enjoy your museum visits, and let each encounter with the art on view inspire new discoveries
Building a Collection
I would ask you to define the function of this museum as first and foremost to bring art into... everyday life.
Homer Saint-Gaudens, writer and art critic, at the opening of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1924
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the oldest art museum in Texas, has a growing permanent collection of close to 60,000 works of art. These treasures span more than 5,000 years of history and reflect cultures around the globe.
When the MFAH opened to the public in 1924, there were fewer than 50 works of art in the collection. Unlike many museums whose origins begin with a collection, the original mission of the MFAH was to inspire Houstonians to learn about art. The first major gift of art was made in 1919 by George M. Dickson, and the collection soon numbered 25 works, but because the museum did not have a building or gallery, the art was on view in the offices of Houstons mayor and city council members, and in select private homes.
The establishment and growth of the MFAH collection is the story of the museum. Numerous individuals and organizations contributed, and the generosity of these donors will continue to shape the museum for generations to come. The sampling that follows reflects collections highlighted in Looking at Art .
Building a Collection of European Art
After the MFAH opened, works of art by local artists and photographers, works of American art, and decorative arts slowly began to enter the collection. Throughout the 1930s, the merchant Samuel H. Kress gave the museum several Italian Renaissance paintings. Kresss generosity is often cited as an important inducement to others to support the MFAH with gifts of art.
For example, the gift of the Edith A. and Percy S. Straus Collection greatly enhanced the museums collection of European art. Percy Selden Straus was one of six children who, together with his brothers, acquired R. H. Macy & Co., New York, recognized as the worlds largest department store in the early 20th century. Mr. Straus was responsible for the development of the store after his parents perished in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. An avid art collector, he believed in the importance of stimulating the growth of arts institutions outside of New York and providing people in those communities with an opportunity to view original works of art. One of his three sons moved to Houston in 1939 to practice law and became a vice president of the MFAH.
In 1941, the Houston Chronicle described the Straus gift with the headline Magnificent Straus Collection of Art Given to Houston Museum: Works of Masters of Many Ages Make City Great Art Center. The 54 paintings and 28 sculptures in the Straus Collection signaled the start of a new era for the MFAH and established the foundation for its collection of European art. The painting by the Master of the Sienese Straus Madonna was part of the Straus gift.
Building a Collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Paintings
In 1974, the museum received a significant donation of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. John A. and Audrey Jones Beck, having built their personal collection piece by piece over the years, carefully selected works from their home and donated them to serve as a permanent exhibition for the public at the MFAH.
